District 96 Board of Education Committee of the Whole Meeting 06-03-26

001All right. Uh, this is Wednesday, June 3rd. School board uh, district 96 school district 9 Riverside School District 96 school board uh, committee the whole meeting. Kathy, would you please call the role? >> Okay. Miss Gun >> here. >> Mr. Ol >> here. >> Mr. Hunt >> here. >> Miss Class >> here. Mr. May >> here is present. >> All right. Thank you. Um doesn't look like we have any public comment. >> Okay. Um I don't see my little blurb in here. Um for the public comment thing. All right, I'll skip it. Usually we read the little thing here, but I don't see it. Okay. Um >> Oh, I thought you >> No, that's okay. I'll just make a general comment. We do welcome public comment. Uh we ask that you limit it to five

002minutes if uh anyone is interested in coming. This is a a board meeting and not a town hall or a public engagement forum. So we don't necessarily respond, but we will ask the superintendent to follow up if necessary. So for any future public commenters, that's our spiel on how that works. Uh so we will just get into the committee report outs and we'll start with policy committee. this gun. >> Oh, yeah. You weren't kidding. I was like, I never go first. Um, but now I'm like, "Oh, I'm up." Um, okay. So, we are uh at press, we had the most recent press update, uh, 121. It's the spring policy update. Um, there wasn't really anything too, you know, kind of alarming or I think confusing in this one. Um I believe the one at the

003end of June um will have some more significant updates, but essentially the as I typically like to do um and as um IASP does for us, they kind of bundle them into topics. Um there are a couple different questions that uh we can talk through in the first read and then outside of press there are a few like D96 edits to our policies that we made um which we'll walk through and talk about why. Um one of the first bundles though has to do with uh what's referred to as like the transparency twins the MA and FOYA. Um so in veto session there was a new public act that affected both of these areas and so the policies that fall within them that were affected and some have questions. The first one is 2200 which

004is types of schoolboard meetings. Um I guess some school districts brought up that the special meeting um posting requirements was unclear and so they were going to clarify in the policy with some language. So essentially the question is if we post um both where the meeting is taking place and at the district office and the answer for us is yes we do at least that we do more than that. We post it at all the district schools as well as the district office not just where um the meeting is taking place. So for us, we would actually select um Yes. I don't know if there's any questions about that, but al I guess was vague on special meetings specifically, but we were already just following our usual process. Um the other one is 2200 board

005meeting procedures. Um they actually added a fifth reason to attend a a meeting remotely provided that there's a quorum available in person. Uh so that fifth reason now is performance of active military duty as a service member. Um I forget when they added uh they added another one within the last couple of years. Maybe the child care obligations I forget. But essentially now there's a fifth reason that you could request to uh join remotely if you meet that. Um another thing that I learned which I actually did not realize is um regarding like roll call votes. So boards are actually only required by law to take a roll call v vote on questions that involve like expenditure of money or um clo going into closed session. But many many districts, ourselves included, have a practice

006of taking roll call votes for all of their votes, even when it's not technically required by law. So again, there's optional language just to memorialize that. Um, so if you take a roll call action on all of your votes, and this is probably appropriate language for us to use, um, I think it's fine that we do a what's that one called? A name >> a voice vote for closing close session. and we could still comfortably say um yes to that one. There's two questions in 2200. So for that one, I thought we could um say yes. That's a second question. >> What does that do to the pot? Like is this a choice or is it more of like a poll of who's doing it, who's not, and you should be and we're saying that

007we're already doing it? >> Yeah, it's a choice. Um, it just it would basically replace there's the language that would be included in there. If you click yes, it says the board shall take a roll call vote on all matters requiring its action, including but not limited to the expenditure of money and questions involving closing of a meeting to the public. So, it just adds that language in there. Basically adds what we're what we do in there. >> It's a choice though like other you could choose no. Yeah, you could. The default is no. >> I guess some districts just follow >> just >> the letter of the law technically, but they said if you follow Robert's rules of order, which if you do, then you're likely going to say yes, many districts do this

008anyway. >> It was just again kind of memorializing it in the policy. >> Yeah. >> Um the second question, it's interesting. You just talked about public comment and you read that um question out loud. is uh I recommend we we say no, which is the default, but we could add language about discussion items being added to the agenda by district residents. So, you can create a process where if you want to specify those types of suggestions, they could be added like if somebody had a suggestion, they could be added to the agenda. Um, and they were saying a typical example, it comes up in public comment. So, I don't know that the board is interested in in doing something like that. Again, we I think we're very >> we're very conscious of our agenda and

009if we're receiving communications from the public and emails, we tend to then put that on an agenda. >> Yeah. >> But usually we do some vetting first. Martha usually meets with a parent or community members or whatever. I've attended a couple of those and just to get under an understanding before trying to bring it to a broad open discussion. So I don't think we've shunned anybody from agenda items that I can recall. So I think >> the way we do it is fine. >> So for that we would um I would recommend we keep the default of no. >> Okay. Um and then 2250 is the FOYA one, the access to district public record. So that same public act that I mentioned um made changes to FOYA just in response to cyber security concerns. So

010essentially now requesters have to submit their requests in the body of the email and for example as opposed to like a PDF on their letter head that they attach. So nobody is opening attachments or hyperlinks it's just embedded in the body of the email. Um, and then also if a district thinks that a request was not submitted by like a human being, we think it's AI, then the district has the right to ver to ask them to verify that they're a person. And if they don't do so within some period of time, I think it's 30 days, that's enough to deny the foyer request. Um, so those are the FOYA updates because of cyber security concerns. It didn't sound like they mentioned anything from it, but like fishing and malware and all that kind of

011stuff. I mean, that's a protection against that, too. So, I kind of I appreciate that addition. Um, the other updates had to do a little bit with personnel. Um, 5250 leaves of absence. Um, they added a NICU addition, the neonet neonatal intensive care unit. So unpaid leave being available to any staff member whose child is in the NICU. And essentially the question has to do with the number of employees in your district. So if you are a district of more than 51, which we are, then that individual would get 20 days. >> 51 employees. >> Mhm. 51 employees, they would get 20 days. Yeah. So we would select >> our response to the question would be over 51. And there's a new subsection that was um added about the NICU. Um the other one that

012came up under personnel that was interesting 530 hiring process and criteria. It's it's related to immigration um having to do with the right to privacy in the workplace. just adding protections to employees if the their employer. So, the district receives something like a no match letter from a fed federal agency like the Social Security Administration um regarding like a discrepancy in their identifying documents. Uh but essentially the process would be to consult your board attorney should you receive a letter of this kind just to make sure you're complying with the requirements for the right to privacy in the workplace. >> That was which one was that? >> 530 hiring process and criteria. So that that was confused by this one because the only modification they made was to the very last sentence and they struck

013any. >> That sounds more substantial the way you're >> in footnote. Um I know the footnotes aren't included in there, but >> just said consult the board attorney if a staff member requests more than one physical examination to obtain a second opinion. >> Yeah, it has. I think that's the one. >> I just didn't understand the modification. So I agree with Dan. >> Physical fitness it says. Oh, you know what? This one, let me double check that. I wonder if this one, this one might be our own language because of the collective bargain um >> the applicable bargaining agreement. I will take a closer look at this one. Yeah, that's weird. I don't think I have unless I have the number wrong. Let me double check. I will get back to you all on that

014one. >> Yep. >> Um and then you might remember the last press update, it was a ton of just article 27, like reorganization of the school code. So there's a lot of different policies like 18 different pieces of material were updated just as a result of that continued housekeeping. A lot of just citations. Um so nothing substantive in about 18 of these. Um there are a couple that were due for 5-year reviews in the 722 7230 7280. So, every they threw them in there in there already. Um, but they were just kind of oneoff five-year reviews. Trying to think of what else. Uh, there was a title one parent and family engagement one. The title one programs, they just made a few tweaks. Uh, removing certain words, replacing it with words that I don't know,

015seem to better encompass the intent. That was really it. Um, >> we updated the ones that um for the non-discrimination coordinator, all the >> Oh, yeah. I was going to do the I guess some of those might also be press um but not all of them are. So, we're just going to do those external or separate from press. >> Gota. >> And um the other >> with contact info. >> Yeah. Yeah. One or two happened to be in this press update, but then there are others that I think were not. Mhm. >> I'll mention those in a second. Um the other thing just to note is coming down the pipeline in June. Um some press materials will be updated because of the US Department of Education recently came out in like February of this year

016with prayer guidance. I um so I guess policies might be updated according to that prayer guidance. I don't know what the guidance I have not read this um Department of Education guideline that came out. And then also, I'm sure everybody's been uh hearing this on the news or reading about it, the student cell phone use um >> uh what's it called? Ban that that's in um that's up right now. They did a poll at the webinar and the vast majority of the schools like a plurality do bell-to-bell like we do. Um but essentially this would limit students cell phone use in schools and require boards to adopt a policy. But >> but it's anticipated for fall of >> fall of 27. Yeah. >> Yeah. But actually just to reiterate that we are already essentially implementing

017what the new legislations >> Yeah. We do both to >> Yeah. I was I stopped following it because I was I was trying to figure out if they were going to ban them from even being in the buildings, but it it sounds like they're just basically putting what we already do into statute from what I can understand. So that seems to be accurate from your opinion. Yeah. >> Um and then outside of press, as we just mentioned, there were a couple D96 specific edits as well. um any where we indicate the um non-discrimination and title n coordinator just making the necessary contact updates um to reflect um Casemir Gordon's new role as well as and this was a good catch um all of the really great work that we just did with the strategic plan

018revising um our policy that out our mission, vision, vision, and values. Um, so just being proactive on that and getting that updated. That's 130. That one's a D96 edit, right? >> It just I don't think it was highlighted as one, but it is not a press one. It's being updated uh to mirror the strategic plan language. >> So, you all vote on the strategic plan and this policy at the same time essentially. >> Yeah. And I'll get back on the no match letter one. um and why that language did not appear in in that way on our policy. I don't know if it's a press plus thing or what, but >> we'll take a look at that too. >> Yeah, footnote. Anything else? I don't know. >> Tangent question on the district philosophy one. So

019the the in the last five-year plan we had the motto empower these learners for life. Is that changing at all? Because >> the models for the states >> the motto's okay that's that's that's what I was thinking but I was like you know I better verify. >> Yeah there was discussion at the strategic plan >> uh meetings whether or not to change that. We felt that the motto not every district you don't have to have a motto mission and vision values seem to be critical parts. So yeah, >> it seemed that the the current motto fits with the restated mission vision. >> Would it make sense to have that here? >> Yeah, it I mean certainly it could >> end that. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's all I had for policy. Were there any questions just

020from an the initial read? >> So, you mentioned there were some that had both the address change and some policy changes as well. I guess once I established the pattern, I was kind of scrolling through them pretty fast. So, I'm want to make sure I didn't miss something. >> Add address change. >> The the contact information change, excuse me. >> Oh, yes. Um, yeah, there was actually there I think Kathy identified all the ones in the policy manual. Oh, here they are. >> There were a number of them that include the >> maybe the ones with the asterk were part of press. >> Yes, that would >> maybe so seven policies that >> Yeah, seven policies. um that needed to be revised due to personnel changes. I think there may have been two of them

021that were technically part of this press update >> and the rest we pulled out of our own um policy manual. >> So which two were those? >> I think it was 2260 and 720. >> Yeah. uniform grievance, title nine grievance, equal employment opportunity, minority recruitment, workplace harassment prohibited, harassment of students prohibited. So all the ones that deal with non-discrimination. >> Mhm. >> And then prevention response to bullying. >> Yeah. Yep. 2260 is part of this packet. >> And then >> they're essentially the ones that have that D that bolded D96 edit on the board book page. and 720. Yeah, cuz when we saw these two in press, we're like, we may as well find all the others that mentions it. >> Mhm. >> Yeah, good catch. >> And I guess there was also one I

022I had not noticed 5170 where we had to make some changes to Molly copyright. That one I did not see. I don't know if that one's in board book. >> Not seeing that one. >> We didn't add that one. The one with the copyright and it must have to go to the director of technology. >> I guess the changes aren't earthshattering for the two that are affected. >> There weren't very many. and Kathy will make the changes and press plus. I know the the versions here still have the um prior contact but >> they will get updated with the new contact. >> Anything else? Nothing for me. >> Sound like it. >> Okay. >> A lighter one. Yeah. For you. >> It It was It is. And we'll see what comes with the fall. >>

023All right. >> And then Stephanie, I know is not going to be at the June board meeting, but we will put these on the agenda for approval. >> I always appreciate Stephanie being here asking answering any questions, but these seem fairly straightforward, but just >> We'll get you an answer on that. No match. >> Yeah. All right. Thank you. >> Um, doesn't look like we have any other committee engagement things from education, family engagement, finance, or personnel. So, unless >> we kind of formatted the maybe the we were trying to figure out how to best format it. Everything's going to fall under the strategic plan update. Like all the areas will be covered there. >> Yeah, that's sort of what I kind of gathered by looking at it what we talked about last week. All

024right. Um, so nothing else to add. We'll just jump down to that to the strategic plan update. All right. And we So, so yes, tonight we have our strategic plan scorecard as well as an overview of all of the goal updates. As you know, we this is now the end of our fiveyear strategic plan. So, Nor's over there clapping. I see. Um but but really it is I think it's worth applause because um it has been we have really lived um this very diligently. the goals, uh, strategies, the key performance indicators that were developed as part of this plan. So, coming to the culmination of a five-year plan, um, is significant and we will talk about that tonight. But also, as the board is well aware, we're also almost simultaneously launching into a new strategic

025plan that we talked about at our last meeting and um, will be brought to the board for um, the likely formal adoption at our regular June board meeting. and the goal areas will be primarily the same. Uh our goal leaders will be likely the same. It's very very possible that we will need to if you recall with this scorecard we took that first year to really think about the KPIs. We brought the KPI draft KPIs to all of you. The board essentially um was part of the determination for the key performance indicators as well. So I anticipate that may take us some time again. We're going to be spending time this summer uh looking at uh research in terms of educational research on all of these key topics. We're going to be looking at the

026survey that was completed by family and staff um and looking at other just sources of data that we have and then um also just thinking um spending some time really reflecting on the conversations that we were all part of at the actual strategic plan meetings and table. And I think um in those three areas, we'll be able to sort of put together strong goals uh that really take this strategic plan as a jumping off point and help us frame a plan for the next five years. So I also um had shared with all of you, but want to share again that uh we have a couple people sharing updates on goal areas that um they were not necessarily part of the um they may have been part of it, but part of it in a

027different role. Um and starting with Kismir Gorman as our new director of teaching and learning and um coming in to share information about goal one. >> Before we jump into that, can I just ask a clarifying question? So we're not going to take a whole school year to figure out new goals, are we? Or is that what you're saying? >> Oh, I think we'll start with new goals, but we might think last time we took a whole >> We took the whole year to think about key performance indicators. It wasn't so much the goals, it was how we were going to >> measure. And I think we we've learned a lot through this process >> because that was we went from more of a informal to a very formal one. So I do think that

028year was appropriate um to figure it out, get it right. But okay, >> but I think we're having the new goals, the more refined goals I should say, because there are very broad goals that are part of the goal targets I think we call them. Um I think we'll have smart goals ready to share with you by the end of the summer. >> Okay. >> Hello everyone. Start of summer. big smile for everyone. Um I'm going to begin by just talking about um two areas that were part of the goal one with student growth and achievement. Um and two areas that I was also brought in on in the um at March like in the spring break time frame. U the first one is our standardsbased grading and reporting um of progress. Um so we

029do have um a template or ready to go for the um next school year for 2627 school year um that has a clearly defined area for math and social studies that is standardsbased um I'm sorry um math and science that is standards based and then there is the ranger of the report card that follows like our traditional and then on the reverse side of that um is our learning standards that are learning behaviors that we utilize. this year on the report card. Um we have also as a committee we worked on how we're going to roll this out so that staff is comfortable. It's a different way to report um grades as opposed to just you know assessing and taking one grade and placing into the report card. So how that process is going to

030happen and how we're going to ease staff into that. Um and we're also meeting this summer just to talk about um how that communication will happen with families in the fall. Uh we were diligent in the last couple months of making sure that we did a scope and sequence for math and that it aligned perfectly with our priority standards and that those are reflected so that there is that alignment between what we're teaching, what we're assessing, and how we're reporting. Um, we also had teachers looking at their common form and assessments and deciding as a team um, of course we're always assessing all the time, but which specific ones we're going to be using for reporting. So that um, the fourth grade teachers over at Central, the the common form assessments that they will be

031reporting out on their report card would be the same ones that the fourth grade teachers over at Blight and Ames are doing as well. so that everybody is having the same experience and we're talking about the same instruction and how students are responding to that instruction. Um advanced learning is another area uh that we are working on um that kind of has rolled out um very quickly in the last week in terms of communication to families. Um we did broaden um and try to really truly cast that wider net. um we did end up capturing um you know several more students um at the junior high level and also at the uh fourth and fifth grade for both math and ELA. So we're excited about that. Uh a lot of family a lot of parent

032communication coming back um for kids that are just really excited for the opportunity and um parents who are excited for them. Um in terms of like communication we made sure that all the communication rolled out through powers school. I think it last year was a combination of like some was power school and some were just emails from principles and we wanted to streamline that. uh we wanted to make sure that all the communication was very clear on the website in terms of what programming we offered and so um we were able to push that through and so that is um like I said everything all that communication to families is currently rolled out in the last few days and so um you know we move forward on that goal um pretty quickly and um you

033know and I I think overall it's it's been quite successful um Looking at our scorecard um for English language arts. Um there were two areas there for the K and one in terms of reading and math. Uh we did not make the goal in one area and we approached the goal uh for ELA and we approached the goal for mathematics. um looking at that and I I know what you talked about just a little while ago uh Wesley about like are we setting the goals then for the summer and I'm assuming something about you know K1 performance is going to be there part of the goal uh I was talking about this a little bit with uh Dr. Ryan Toy too about potentially looking at the the fast bread metric, you know, and how it's

034a great progress monitoring tool for teachers um especially for our early um readers. Uh but it in the sense that kindergarters and first graders, they rapidly develop skills. And so the subsets of the the subset tests that happen at the fall, winter, and spring, they change. Um, and so like if you're looking at concepts of print in kindergarten and fall, you don't test that again in winter or spring. So for the teachers, as kindergartener students or kindergarten students develop new skills, it's great for them because they're trying to capture an understanding of where they are. But for a growth indicator, sometimes I don't know if it's giving us exactly the type of information that we want for this piece because we're not looking at apples to apples in that way. Um and for the math

035goal for fast food, we approached it. So um so we were we were close. We were not too far behind um where we landed last year. So you know within the range of where we are um like to see obviously you know higher growth from uh students moving forward. Um but that one was pretty in line with what we had our students had scored last year. looking at NWA progress. That's for our students in grades um 2 through eight. Um in the area of um ELA, we had approaching in goal and I and approaching we actually did fairly well. We had a good range and I did a relative range of from 71% to 78%. We did have an outlier and that was in eighth grade. Uh but if you look at their cohort average,

036that's what they've averaged throughout their entire time in district 96. They have been slightly lower than the other grade levels. So that was in line with that. Um in the area of the MA in math growth, once again, we also approached um we had a range of 69 to 91%. That's lower than last year. Um, however, from speaking and putting it back on like the principal hat and looking at students individually and talking to other principles in other schools, we actually saw a lot of kids that were performing in the mid 80s to the low 90 range, we saw an increase in that overall. So, even though the range is still there, we did see um several more kids that were performing higher than what we had typically seen in the spring. So that's the

037that's how the the range is reported, but um I just from that inside view of like a principal, I know that that conversation has looked a little bit different. >> Could I ask a question on the chart? Yeah. >> I just want to make sure I'm reading it correctly. I don't flip into the next. I don't know who's got this up, but can we flip to the >> because you got the cohort average and then you have the cohort cohort goal and then we have the percent that meet. So is it accurate to read it? you just said that that's the average of the class and then the goal. So we were using third grade we were at 88 the goal was 91 so we were close but 90% of the students were meeting the

038growth their individual growth target is that what you just that's what you just reiterated >> exactly right and so that and that 88 that's just the percentage of like their average of what they scored in second grade >> as a whole third grade fourth I looked at that too and wonder and I did speak with um Dr. about that and I you know and it was it was she was capturing every how they performed every grade. So if you look at uh ELA and you look at where the eighth graders are at that 60th percent but that's the average of what they scored every year since they've been here since second grade. So that's why I did I I did a relative range because it seemed to be that that eighth grade is a little

039bit of an outlier. Um the next uh the other assessment that is reported on the scorecard is the Illinois assessment of readiness and we have not yet received our scores back for that. I don't think at last year at this time the scores were reported at that point either. Uh but we will update that once that's in there. And it'll be interesting just to see from the lens of achievement how that compares to um the lens of growth. And that is all I have. There any questions? >> Are you considering any mod since Since you're considering a modification to the 1A 1A11B, are you thinking anything different on >> I just wanted to clarify. I was reading that correctly. Like Right. So I was but are you is that up for discussion on a different

040way to measure it or is that still feel like the right way? >> NWA is a is a great way to measure progress you know and go and because it it it does and follows I the the charting might look a little bit different because I had the same question too. It was like are when you're saying the cohort average are you looking at that same you know the cohort that's traveled through the the grade or you can look at it differently. you can say every year, how has second grade performed? Right? Because you can look at it two different ways. And so this one tracks the class, which I appreciate. Y >> um but I'm wondering if there's a way to kind of see it from from both lenses because I think that would

041give us some >> additional insight, too. >> Yeah. Okay. I know I ask this every year, but just like in terms of defining cohort average, so for example, in NWA map for math, the third graders cohort average is 88%. What does that mean? Like does that mean out of all of schools nationally, our average is in the 88th percentile? So it was it it's a report that comes on NWA. It was like you know where you know theu the students landed and so it was what our average uh second grade score was last year with all our second graders taken together and then there was a report for the third grader and it was just the two numbers averaged together. >> Okay. >> So that's it's and so they just track that and then that's

042how Dr. Doula had done it at that point and so she was using that metric that and it's a report that they have on NWA. Okay. But so it does it relate though to like how we rate nationally relative to all other schools or it has nothing to do with that? >> It has nothing to do with a national rate. It's just how our school I mean it's based on I mean all the percentiles are based on how we compare to other students nationally. >> But this one is you know how our cohort did compare to itself like from last year to this year. >> Okay. I think we're good. >> Thank you. >> I was thinking on that, too. I was like, I think we're good. >> Like, >> every year I feel like

043I ask the same question. I I I would suggest I guess in in future years or if we're going to keep this format that some of these why they're set the way they are if we can have footnotes or any kind of text or information about it because some of these seem to be 5% increments. So it's kind of arbitrary for goals and then others >> are a little different. So I guess if if we could clarify why these goals are what they are. So, and and I I thought that too because I know at that there was this idea of like doing like set setting stretch goals. I like watched the board meeting last year and I know that that was what Dr. Doel had had shared with you. >> Um >> my insight

044is like you do have a stretch goal. you have a stretch plan that goes along with a stretch goal. And that's why that would be like a greater jump than maybe some other like if you were working specifically on a plan or a specific strategy or skill at the fifth grade level for ELA, maybe that would be something additional and so maybe at that level, maybe you're setting a different goal for that group because you're putting something additional in place. So I I had a similar thought. >> Okay. >> Thanks. >> And I like that idea. I just made it like a potentially adding it as a footnote or as a descriptor somewhere because >> even we went back and just looked at it again like you know why did we set that target? >>

045I can't remember asking those questions or somebody asking those questions but yeah you're memorialize it well here remembered. Yeah. >> Yeah. I think we could do that better. >> Thank you. Hello everyone. Um, so for goal two, I know we had um I think it was our was it our March cow maybe? We had a pretty comprehensive uh overview of some of the work going on incl uh in the realm um at both elementary and junior high. Um but I'm going to um cover some of that. Um talk about some of the highlights across the year. Um our official so the the first two KPIs are attendance and crowd on capsentism that we're calculating those since the year just ended. So we'll share those um at the June board meeting. I did though I was

046reminded that um we gave oursel I I gave us a yellow and approaching last year for being 94.2 instead of 94.3. And I do remember that you guys said, "You know what? I think we'd give that a green." But um we'll see what the final percentage is. Um like I said, by the June board meeting um for the uh past administration, again, that's the um it's called the Renaissance now. It's changed uh names over the course of our five years. Um and it continues to show us um well above the national averages for people's attitudes towards themselves in schools. Um, we are looking at piloting a a new um, screener that our district mental health staff feels maybe more um, give a little bit more insight into specific um, areas that we can target. You

047know, that that's it's great to know we're above the national average, but is there something that could be more meaningful in terms of what we can um, target in our buildings? U, so more to come on that after some work this summer. Um and then the last one, my eye doctor appointment is on Friday. Uh that's the castle goal. Um that is something that we will also be doing this summer. That's a DT activity that we just it's um pretty indepth and so it just didn't get onto the agenda in the busyiness of the end of the year. Um but overall in terms of this 2526 school year, I think some of the biggest areas of celebration in goal two were the um introduction of the elementary intervention and support coordinator um and that synthesis

048of social emotional supports and structures at Hower. um that in in our district retreat uh district leadership team retreat in fall of last year or late summer of last year um we had identified a priority goal for the year related to MTSS. So uh that tier one tier 2 tier three system specifically for students who are um not necessarily struggling with academic skills or possibly that as well but struggling on or continuing to develop those social emotional and emotional regulation skills. And so um across the year the intervention support coordinator was uh Nikki Maza uh was instrumental in kind of building up uh more of the structures around that to mirror our academic intervention structures. So that's been an area of really significant growth this year. Our social workers um were kind of included more

049systemically um in those data review meetings that each building has. So in in addition to reviewing the benchmark academic data, we were sharing behavior referral and nurse office visit which is kind of like a leading indicator can be of hey a student's been to the office six times a day. It's not a medical illness. What are they you know avoiding or something like that. um attendance data and uh the student screening data to really start to make some more uh database decisions about what tier 2 interventions can we have in place either at the classroom or small group level. Um so that's been an area of growth this year and we'll continue next year to develop that or to continue to build that as well. um and and at the junior high uh they really

050the building leadership team at Hower really dove into um identifying you know what are their current and behavioral practices across the building. Um and then they they had some teachers towards the end of this year pilot the character strong curriculum based on recommendations from other junior highs in the area. To be honest, it's um a tough age group. Um, I could end the sentence there, but I would say it's a tough age group for SEAL instruction to get that buy into more um kind of packaged curricular materials. Uh, but character strong has been one that is not immediately um written off as too babyish or too, you know, um, whatever the current lingo is. Um so next year the um building leadership team is or over the summer and planning for next year working on

051uh identifying key lessons to kind of frontload across the year um and scheduling with uh BLT when are those lessons going to be implemented and kind of inserted into the hower day. And so there's still again there's going to be work that goes on this summer to identify is the best way to do that. um you know a slightly different schedule uh you know on one day where we're accommodating some extra instructional time in first period to um target this idea buildingwide. Um but really they're doing a fantastic job of kind of thinking creatively about how our like what are the possibilities for getting more of these um uniform and you know kind of cohesive units into into the day. It is an ongoing um battle with the clock in all of our buildings of

052there's so much we want to get to and how do we give everything the the time that it deserves and so we're really thinking creatively about that. Um the another change that I think um has been apparent this year, it was based on some summer work that our social work team did last summer to really um kind of streamline the way that we are thinking about uh behaviors that are kind of made a that we make a report about. You know, there's any number of things that might happen during the school day that are minor that you just you're redirecting a student, you know, they're not on task, whatever. things that are um significant enough to really, you know, be tracking. We were kind of using different language across elementary and junior high um and

053the social workers across K8 came together to really um kind of make that more uniform across buildings and the um Nikki Maza, the ISC was also a big leader in that work as well. um which has really led us to have more consistent behavior data across the district to be able to you know um use it possibly as a KPI going forward or you know as a as a building indicator to know where are we seeing increases decreases where do we need to kind of deploy our resources. Um I think oh the last piece that I just wanted to highlight um is um just our continued commitment to the responsive classroom model. Um that's the um kind of framework that really focuses on developing that classroom community, helping students take ownership of their learning and

054embedding those social emotional structures just into the classroom routines from day one so that it's just a part of the day. It's a part of how kids are interacting with each other in addition to those kind of standalone lessons. Um but that responsive classroom model is something that um we're really committed to and we um are excited to share. We have 14 staff members who are sign up to complete training this summer. So that um it is a commitment for staff to go. It's multi-day uh it's long days I've gone through the training. It's super engaging, but you come home and you're ready for, you know, a nap. Um, so I'm I'm excited that we've got so many of our staff who are going to participate in that this summer. Any questions about any of

055that? >> If you don't, you might not have this number. I'm just going to throw it out. Any idea like what percentage of teachers are, I guess, what do you want to call it? Certified or formally trained in this >> have gone through the responsive classroom? I don't have that number, but I can get it. >> I'd just be curious how >> we do track it, right? >> Yeah, we have it. I just don't have it in front of me. >> That's great though. I'm I'm glad. I mean, we we try to push this stuff all the time. So, seeing so many people take advantage of it really good. >> Um, responsive classroom themselves have um kind of broadened the trainings that they're offering as well. So, I know that some of those 14 teachers,

056for instance, this summer, at least two or three, I think, are specials areas or um special education because they're um you know, their original responsive classroom training was really very much directed towards just a classroom teacher who's going to have 20 faces staring at them on day one. Um and so they they have kind of expanded their um their offerings as well so that it can really be a schoolwide um model that everyone is familiar and using the same language and using the same kind of strategies as they kids move from room to room too. So but I can get that number of what what percentage how many of our staff have have completed a training. >> Yeah. I'm just just out of curiosity because it's something we've talked about a lot, but I'm not

057sure we've ever pegged a number to it. Just how many do it? >> Mhm. >> Cool. >> All right. Thank you. >> All right. Thanks. >> Before we jump to number three, I feel like unless I missed it, we didn't did we talk about one through five? Like 96% of our advanced ELA kids got admitted into English honors 9 and 9 of our math students got accepted. >> It's pretty phenomenal. And you did you in communication with the high school, right? About that. >> Yeah, that's incredible. I know our numbers for math are a little bit lower, but um they still exceeded the the goals that we set, but that's pretty incredible. >> And I think, you know, to your question too about KPIs and future goals, I think there are some data points that

058we've learned through this five-year process um that may will likely continue to make a lot of sense. Yeah. like how our children do when they enter the high school has been a key question >> for a long time. I think that's a that's a metric around it. Yeah. >> We ready for goal three. >> Let's do it. >> All right. So, I am sharing information about goal three. As you recall, um when Dantalo retired last year, um I became the goal leader for goal three along with Molly Marquort as she was learning her way this year. It was really it's been a really valuable um action team to be part of. I've really valued the conversations and I also want to sort of um just remind everybody that somewhere kind of mid year we talked

059about the KPIs that we had identified for goal three as perhaps not the most um meaningful to the board. I think there's some here that I'm going to talk about first about teachers with master's degree and our diverse workforce. But um I think we also started to really lean in around some kind of metric around morale. Um we're spending a lot of time surveying, making good use of that data, um creating actionable steps around how we continue to focus on and improve morale uh in the district. So I think a future strategic plan scorecard would likely have something more explicit. It is something also that Dave Barcati and I have been talking about. I know David um was apologetic about not being able to be here tonight to to talk more about it too, but

060I'll certainly represent some of his his thoughts um as I go through all this. So the first uh KPI was that the district will maintain or increase the percent of teachers with a master's degree or higher on this three-year rolling average as reported by the state board of ed report card. Um and this is actually interesting an area that we have decreased slightly. So um we are um in terms of the last reported um report card at 59.3% and you can see it's been as high as 65% in the past five years. So this is an interesting one because it's um I'll just make a few comments. It's we're sort of in a phase right now where we're actually supporting teachers even more with graduate reimbursement. I would say we have a lot of teachers

061enrolled in graduate coursework. Um whether they're just in the process of moving toward a masters or they're completing graduate coursework that doesn't necessarily lead to a masters which um can also sometimes be the case or they're doing it to supplement beyond a mast's. So um I think it's it's worth noting. I I don't think it means that our workforce is faltering or that we have a less high quality workforce. I know there's been different questions even by the board over my years here is does a master's is a master's degree indicative of a high quality teacher. I think a master's degree is certainly indicative of somebody who's really made a commitment to the field and they want to advance their degree and I think there obviously are skills to be gained through working on a

062master's program. Um, so it's and again I don't think it's a an alarming reduction, but it is worth noting and whether that just means we have a slightly younger workforce that we've lost people um through retirements etc that may have hold master's degrees. >> I would I would just point out that the chart you put in here is 65 64 64 62 59. So >> the percentage feels worse than the numbers actually do. So >> yeah, thank you for pointing that out. But it does get a a red dot. So >> it does. Yeah. >> Yeah. Um and then we talk about diversity in our hiring and refining our hiring process in a way that we felt would um help us with recruitment. And then it's it is also interesting to look at the state

063report card data around demographics. And there is a change here that we have gone from in the past five five years and again maybe Wesley your eyes are working better than mine but we've gone is it 94 95 >> 94 93 to 91 um total percent of um white teachers which means the um number of diverse teachers has gone up. >> So um that that's something that we have been working on. We've been looking at, you know, it started with kind of refining our hiring process, also making it uh more engaging, more inviting, being more explicit about um being invitational about really wanting a more uh diverse workforce here also. So, those are areas that um we have made some gains in. >> I would just add a comment here. You and I talk about

064this a lot when with we we've hired a lot of people and my question always is did we have a wide pool of people? because you our policy even states that we're going to hire the best candidate, but we've got to make sure you're getting the right people in the pool or you're never going to make any progress in this. So, it does feel like we're doing a good job of at least expanding our recruitment pool, however you want to define that. >> And this um you know, this part of the state report card is actually teachers. So, this is our certified staff, too, which um I think is we know that we've been able to make some changes across the board and in our support staff and in other areas, but to see it

065in our certified um teacher workforce is also um an important indicator. >> Uh this we have kind of this I'll say somewhat confusing metric. I think this is one that the board had talked about that 85% of employees who voluntarily choose to leave would participate in an exit interview and that really we haven't gotten our basically our sample size high enough to bring really meaningful data forward. So we'll continue to look at how we can um perhaps perhaps enhance this. Um I do offer an exit interview and we offer an exit interview kind of survey or an opportunity to meet in person. And I think just the process in and of itself is valuable. Learning things about the district and why people choose to leave. Um oftentimes it's been a retirement. It's um I will

066say just again anecdotally, but I can probably give you a factual number. Um the number of people that leave to go teach in another district here is a very rare um rare occurrence, a rare number that it's often people that are making a different um life choice around their career or geographic relocation or something like that or retirement. um and and rarely just a shift to go do something the same kind of teaching job in in a different district. It's not unheard of, but it's it's a it's a very very low occurrence. Um the competitive teaching or the competitive salary as as you all know um this one is a very hard one to compare kind of an apples to apples that um when you look at salaries in aggregate that can be very challenging.

067So we know even just through our um negotiations process etc is to look at a bachelor's starting salary and compare other bachelor starting salaries or a masters with 10 years or something. So we um it's um something that we dig in and study at times when we've needed to dig in and study and it's something that we track and the state tracks but they do track it as an aggregate number and again I sometimes pause and wonder how meaningful that is if you take all teacher salaries and um create an average but we are just slightly below above the state on that one as just a um when we look at the state report card uh then we get into the professional development and the ways that we measure that um We looked at a

068couple indicators. So after every professional development session, uh teachers will uh fill out an evidence of completion and give a feedback as required by the state and is required by the district. Um in terms of a variety of key areas and we had selected these two key areas of uh this professional development will impact my social emotional growth or student social emotional growth um and then um increases my knowledge around content knowledge or skills or both. So, that is an area that we're seeing some um nice increase and nice improvements. As you know, we've been working hard to make sure that professional development is what our teachers want and need. And we talk a lot about sort of wanting to hit the nail on the head for every single teacher. And um we work hard

069to do that. And I will also note that we had a lot less professional development this year too. We had our institute days. We didn't have the 75 minute afterchool professional development. So, next year we'll be back to uh the new schedule, the new calendar with the four half-day school improvement days. And I think that just gives us more opportunity. We kind of knew we would take a pause this year to kind of reset on our calendar and reset our structures around that. So >> I I don't know what the numbers were, but I was part of the contract the not this one we just finished, but the one before that. And this was a huge point of negotiation of just not feeling like this was being done very well or um not feeling like

070it was as I don't know what the right way to say it is, but like the staff really wanted more engagement here. And so these numbers actually feel pretty good from where we were five years ago when we really tried to revamp that. So, I'm I'm glad that you're getting the the level of feedback that it is more meaningful. You're never going to get to 100 again, but 83 on one and 76 on another. Um, depending on which number I want to pick out here, but I mean, that seems pretty good. >> At least it's it's I think it's telling me people are feeling like the content is relevant to them at this point in time. They're getting value out of it. So, that's good. >> Yeah, we keep working on that. That is always

071a work in progress. Um then we get into um employee satisfaction and the use of this survey and and I have sort of uh sort of again more maybe structural or process pieces and this is what David and I have been talking about. It's what we've talked about here. I've um published as I did this is the spring data here that um you have a report available to you. Um, but I think what's maybe perhaps most worth noting worth noting is that the goal three action team really became very focused on morale. Um, that the morale survey had a modification to it that would um, you'd give feedback about your building, but you'd also give feedback about the district, the district in general, the district office. Um, in terms of communication, responsiveness, etc. were um,

072recognition were particular key areas that came up through that. So um again I think this one still needs some attention in terms of where we can emerge with new KPIs with the new goals the new strategic plan. Um I I think but again from a process perspective and an action perspective um the goal reaction team along with the building leadership teams have been just key players around taking the morale survey data um creating action around the results and the findings and how that really uh can shape future goals. And I will tell you sitting at the essentially the high quality staff, talented and invested staff table at the strategic plan um sessions and the development that the sort of the very uh key the key discussion was we want this to be a place where

073teachers feel fully engaged and fully fulfilled by choosing to work here and to work with the children and do the work that they do. So again aspirational but I think um really points to the idea that some focusing in on the morale data as key performance indicators will be really important and then I just added because I think it's also important u for all of us at the end of the year and I wish we' been doing this every year I could go back and fill in I suppose but um just how we've added different key positions and that responsiveness to our student population I think again it's um important recognition for the district for the board of education specifically um and did note that we made a recommendation to have an additional middle school

074math teacher for the coming school year. But when you think about this past 25 26 school year, um there was an additional bilingual e teacher added an additional coach, a resource teacher, an elementary PE teacher, and um as Norah had pointed out, the elementary intervention and support coordinator in the administrative role were really all key positions that I think have really enhanced the opportunities our kids have and the experiences that they have. So that's goal three. Um any questions or comments? I I had a question about the participation for the EAB survey. >> So the last line notes D96 administration administration center of zero participation in the same. So I'm guessing that's by design or >> Yeah, we don't the district admin team doesn't take the survey, you know, so >> so I guess maybe

075it would make sense to delete that line. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, probably would. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Thank you for calling that part. Otherwise, it's a red flag if anybody's participating. >> Yeah, we're not we're not uh refusing or anything. It just I think it's it hasn't occurred to me to take the survey. So, yeah. >> Um I don't know if speak Nora or Molly others. Did you take the survey? >> It's not for me. >> Zero, I think. Yeah. So, >> I get all the feedback I need right here. So, >> yeah. >> Um on the So, we had an even participation winter to spring from spring 25 to fall. hit a huge bump almost 60 and then we dropped about 40. Any thoughts on the particip I'm glad it was even because at

076least it gives you kind of a similar benchmark but any thoughts on >> why we had a big fall off and then didn't get it picked back up. >> The one thing we've talked about so I know the spring the spring one was done at the April 26th half day, right? I have to look at my administration dates. Yeah, the April 26th half day. um the midyear was done at the February. We're trying to recall if the paras somehow didn't feel as connected or included because of who was in attendance on the day that we pushed the survey out. But I will also say Molly's been great about pushing the survey out, keeping it open for what more than 24 hours or 24 hours. >> 48 hours. >> Yeah. So I I it almost looks

077like there's a group of employees that are missing there because then we go down to 169 168 with with greater consistency there, but I I don't I don't know for sure. Um one of the things that we watch with participation is are there people saying, "Well, I'm not going to take that survey anymore because you're not doing anything with the results." Right? And that's what we've really worked hard to sort of push out in our communication the purpose around it, why it matters that people take it. I do I do a lot with my folks explaining that I do everything with this and it is very meaningful and just because you don't personally feel it doesn't mean I'm not doing anything with it. So I I think whatever we can do to just continue to

078push for participation because and really where I'm going with that is I mean 50 40 50 people that's that can skew your results. And if you got 50 people that you don't know what their opinion is that could be good >> as it well that could be they had good feelings but they didn't participate or they had negative feelings and they didn't participate. But like overall um I mean I I automatically converted these from disagreement to agreement. Um, and looking at it like 20, you know, you went from highest disagreement of time and resources on the first one to recognition and value, which has been consistent, but each one of these there is improvement and some of it's been pretty dramatic. Others has been incremental, but almost across the board we've seen improvement on everything.

079There's only been one or two things that have slipped for for whatever reason. Um, but that recognition piece, I remember talking about it last time and with that being basically one of the top things and seeing that continue to improve. Um, I don't know, that feels very positive to me, especially the teachers recognized by district leaders and the rec recognition in the past week that went from 72 agreed to 83 agreed. That's a pretty big jump for that one in particular in my opinion. Um, but I I mean I think overall it it seems like the things that you've implemented or collectively implemented and I know you started doing your Thursdays at the schools, but I think that was after this last survey, right? So, I'd be curious to see how >> um that plays

080out. Seems like you've gotten good value out of it and gotten good feedback from what you and I have discussed. So, um I would agree that like always continuous improvement on this because you always strive for 100%. But I think overall these these results continue to be pretty high. Do you feel like the So, I know we have different layers of of groups that participate, but the staff that's involved like you feel like you got pretty good engagement from those groups. You're getting good feedback out of those discussions. >> I'd say excellent excellent engagement. Um just people care about this. they care about, you know, true problem solving around how, you know, like I think the uh even the office hours sort of at the schools came from sort of a some feedback from them,

081feedback I'd heard from other district leaders and other districts, but it was um yes, please do that. Um Molly, I want to credit Molly with uh creating the staff hub for communication that um communication is always a challenge. five schools, one district office making sure that people are getting the same information and uh now Kismir is sending out something that um Angel Dozel had started but a Friday communication to all staff and now links to a hub that has all the all the committee meetings um a lot of logistical details that teachers really wanted in a kind of one-stop shop kind of place and um using technology makes it all very interactive and integrated and it looks good and teachers were also really positive about that. I think it's just another one of those indicators.

082It's like we asked for this and you were able to deliver on it and that that means a lot. So >> yeah, delivering means a lot. >> Yeah. Keep it up and enhance continue to enhance it. We continue to get feedback that it doesn't include this or could it be more of that? But we'll keep working on it. >> Yeah. And I read that in in the write up here about the comm's hub and I just I was curious. So you just answered that question too. So just putting everything in one place. I mean, I I fight that battle all the time of where was this at and who did what and who's on what. Yeah. >> Cool. Yeah, these I don't know from my perspective reading through these and I did kind of that

083sideby-side comparison because you had the the previous ones with this one. I mean, I I think these results are are continuing to move in the right direction and and I feel good about where we're at and we'll just continue to to push forward. But I'm glad you're getting good participation and good engagement in those discussions because the data tells you numbers. it doesn't really tell you what to do to improve it. So really getting that feedback is important. >> And we keep looking at recognition and we're looking at things other districts do to recognize staff. We've talked to the REC leadership and we know that recognition is only valuable if it's the kind of recognition that you want and >> it's so personal. >> Yeah. So um but I I see that as an area

084to continue to focus in on. >> So anything else about goal three? Molly, anything else you'd add? >> I don't think so. I think that at least to your question about the fall like the kind of drop off. I think that the biggest I think the biggest impact there is that in the fall the first time we did the survey for this like school year we were all together at institute day and we like provided that set space where everybody was together to have like the dedicated time to take it. Um, and so I think that that is how we got the participation we were looking for and needed for the data. And then in the winter and spring, they were for like the building half days or I think winter was institute day, but

085I know that it was I think it was close when the when winter break was. So like there were >> the we had this really good number because we had the space and time and it was allocated for staff. And so I think that that's why the number is consistently the way that it is is because it >> wasn't at a all staff institute day. >> Um >> that that's a great point and so when we the way we do it where I work we have two of them that are more like meaty ones sort of like this and we always set aside dedicate time and I'm like if my participation is low I'm blaming you because I gave you the space to do it. So that that actually is a great call out. One

086of the things we also have talked about, David brought it up when we were previewing this too, is do we need to give it three times a year? You know, are we really making use of that mid-year data? if we did it maybe only twice a year, beginning year, end of year, it might be just as meaningful because really like even the gold reaction team like we could have stuck with the fall data and just you know because I think all these things even where you hope to see change in growth um or plan to see change in growth. I don't know that the winter data is then this like stopping point where you really then like pivot or change when you could but you know is there a little bit of survey fatigue by

087doing it three years three times a year. >> So another thing to think about >> um the the only one I'll just call this out. I don't need a response on this. The only one that I noticed that had a big drop was the path to professional advancement. I just thought that was curious. So, as you guys are digging into it and getting feedback, I would be curious about that one because I feel like as a board, we're doing a lot to add. >> Um, but if it's just that path, I could like how do I get from being a third grade teacher to a >> some sort of administrator? I don't know what whatever you're thinking, but like that that leadership advancement, I know that could be a little bit trickier. So, maybe that's

088what that's about. But, um, >> and actually that is one that staff have given us feedback that they find the question confusing. We even went back to EAB and said, "What what do you intend?" and they're like, "We intend whatever it is that you interpret it to me." Right? So for some people it means you encourage me to go to conferences. For some people it means that the professional development that I'm receiving is relevant to my role. And for some people it means I see how I can become a teacher to become a princ principal. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So it's really >> so it's very broad and somewhat vague. Okay. >> I would Yeah. I mean Okay. Is that feedback we've gotten or that's just feedback from EAB? That's a feedback we got from

089our own staff. We don't really know for sure how we're supposed to answer that one. What's meant by the question? >> Well, you talked about potentially recommending a different one. Was it Paranorama? >> Panorama. Um, >> so maybe maybe that would be maybe that'll help. >> Yeah. And I'm in the process right now of talking to other districts that have made this shift to this panorama survey, muddy the water here. But that's also the one that is an allowable alternative to five essentials. So maybe a good segue to goal four and family community partnerships also because >> that's where I saw it >> if we were right now the EAB is a staff morale survey and we have five essentials and I know we've talked really over I think my entire 10 years here that

090it is a survey that families staff we kind of give them the time to take it require them to take it students so our participation rate with staff and students interestingly still not perfect even when they're given the time but it's much higher uh families, we hit our 20% participation threshold minimum and we kind of just hit that. Um it's also the feedback you've all shared, many parents have shared, staff who are parents who take it in their own children's district have shared that it seems to be a very cumbersome survey. Um teachers have shared with us that even for kids the interpretation of the survey when they are answering some of the questions some teachers will read it to them some teachers will take time to explain what they think the question means um

091but they f we certainly been reported that kids also find the survey to be confusing um so I'm not ready to make a recommendation yet but I think there is something to the panorama survey for families for students and for staff um that has the potential to be a much more userfriendly survey. Um B I just talked to one district just this week um and their participation went from sort of that 20% to above 50% um participation. I just saw a huge jump in participation >> um by switching the ser you know the five essentials I don't know how long it's been around but I've been here 10 years and we've been using it and used it many many years in a previous district looking at you Steve do you know how many years it's

092been it's been >> 10 plus >> I want to say 15 >> 20 maybe even so you know is it just I'll say the stale for people too um so I I think there's there's more to be learned more to be um gained more to gathered even when we look at goal four and family community partnerships really what you have here in reporting is more anecdotal and qualitative in terms of the kinds of things that we've been doing um I do I do think I facilitate that committee so I might be a little biased but I I mean I do think that just the opportunity to come together with staff and parents in the same room um is a really valuable al um opportunity um when we've reflected during our living the plan sessions I

093think there's just a sense that people feel that by having the action team, by having the goal area, we'll continue to have a goal area that just really highlights and enhances um and kind of is very explicit about how critical the you know homeschool partnership always is, always will be. Um but I think the the committee that can really highlight it has had a lot of great value and has come up with doing some some really great things. I mean I think there's a much more um clear sort of link to the parent leadership team which is also another really valuable committee and we bring staff in when there's particular topics but that is you know the PTA and PTO presidents and a board member um myself and then sort of depending on the topic

094u principles and other administrators involved in that um so valuable and bringing the linkage between the two I think has value the family learning night um has been just a great celebration of learning it's a one time, one time a year. Um, very symbolic in many ways. Um, as well as just kind of the hands-on fun that that comes with it. But I think really designed to be in addition to the many great things that are happening at the school to really have an event that is district sponsored and districtwide has been valuable. It's something very much our teachers wanted as a celebration of learning and our families have been great partners in in coming and being part of that with us. um the one book one school now is at all four elementary schools.

095That was something that this committee felt strongly about. And again, these are not all just from this year. The family engagement guidelines that I know teach a lot of teachers still link as part of their um signature line on their emails that we have posted in the different schools and um that was a really great process going through that and developing it but continue to highlight it as a document that the district values I think has has importance. Uh the website we continue to update that uh the app and just other communication tools. We've talked before also just adding Molly Caster 10 hours a week. Um as a contractor with us I think also has improved on our processes. I think our social media presence has um really evolved over time with her help and

096with the help of our what we call our social media champions in each of our schools and appreciate the teachers that um are willing to do that extra part because they're really the ones that have the window in and um help us get that information and those stories out to the greater community. And then um we didn't do the family engagement survey because we did the strategic plan survey which essentially had a lot of the same elements and same information. So I think just coming to some clarity as I mentioned about the five essentials in the future about how we want to regularly survey families. We do with five essentials but is there a more meaningful way to do it? I guess that's what I'm saying recommending. So that's goal three and goal four. Any

097other questions or comments? Oh, is this goal five? Time for goal five for Steve. Um, also new new Mark did the dots and Steve's gonna talk about them. That >> that's a tag team, right? >> Yeah. Right. >> Um, well, first of all, it's it's I welcome the opportunity to be here. I wish I was more knowledgeable and could answer questions on the fly. What I don't know, I will find out and and get back to you either directly or through Martha. Um, I've worked part-time here for a couple of months. This is my first full-time week, so every day is is a huge change. The staff has been great. the transition is ongoing. Um, but it's been great. So, I'll I'll walk through these. Mark, as as Martha said, Mark put these together. Um,

098but I'll walk through them one at a time. And if you have questions, let me know. If I can answer them, great. If not, I'll I'll get you an answer. So, first of all, the district maintained an annual school district profile rating of uh 4.0, which is um recognition. The district has had that rating. Actually, the district has had a rating of 3.9 or better since 2006. Um, so there's a great history of of the district being uh good stewards of taxpayer resources and and using the resources effectively. Um, going back to 2006 is an achievement. So, that's something to be proud of. Uh, the FY26 budget, I'll have an update for the board at the June board meeting. I'm just kind of wrapping up the work that Jim started and and Mark finished this

099year. Um, and in uh June, the end of June, June 25th, we've we've got a meeting with the finance committee. So, I'll give kind of a preliminary look at the FY27 budget as well. So, working on that right now. Uh, and as Mark noted, um, overall discretionary spending increases were below CPI, which is one of the board's uh, goals. So, uh, the district was able to live within those means. Um, scheduled facility maintenance, repairs, and improvement projects were completed on time and within the original board approved budget. One of the big ones that got done this year thanks to uh Molly uh was the security project finally wrapped up. That's off her to-do list uh and actually came in just slightly under budget. So, signed the last paperwork yesterday morning and um we're going to

100save about $4,000, which on a $1 million project isn't huge, but under budget is under budget, so we'll take it. Um, and speaking of projects, there are four significant projects going on this summer. And I I don't know that I realized how much that was until I was putting this together and kind of grasping this. No wonder Zach Pros has been running around with his head cut off the last couple uh months and weeks. >> Um, >> the the projects have are just starting to get underway. So, if you drive around Hower, you see man lifts there. there storage um you know pods or or what have you there um work is just getting started on on the tuck pointing um but really nothing in enterness quite yet um so the masonary work is starting

101at Hower the window project is starting at Hower um we're a couple weeks off from the the boiler project they they just are ordering the the equipment right now which is going to take a couple of weeks um to get here once that arrives they'll start that project uh scheduled to be done before the end of the summer obviously Um, you're seeing equipment, but not a ton of work right now, but that's going to change quickly. I was just at Ble Park uh the other day um meeting with Zach and Romesh Romesh and um Ryan Kelly from DLA. That project isn't quite started yet either. Um there's a lot of permitting that has to be done. There's one permitting permit waiting um to be signed off on. Uh you'll uh you will see fence around

102the park here probably the end of this week or beginning of next week. So there will be something visible. Talked to Molly Caster yesterday about putting something out about hey if you want to use that park this is kind of your last chance to do that before you know work starts. So I think she's going to get something out on that. But four pretty big projects uh um just getting off the ground. They will be great when they're all over but it's going to be a busy summer obviously. Uh, speaking of the park, because I was curious when we were going to get started on that, but now that you're talking about it, um, all those all that green screen stuff and the lifts and everything back there, is that is that playground at Central,

103well, the I don't know what we call it, but that new playground we put it, is that going to be off limits because of all the construction? >> Um, it's a really good question and I didn't have a chance to talk to Zach today, so I don't want to give you an answer for sure until I know where everything is going to be arranged and what isn't what isn't off limits. >> Okay. That might be a good one to get out too if there's going to be restrictions on that or something because I was wondering if the grass area was going to be restricted to. It almost looks like they blocked off the only way to get in it unless you hop the fence. But >> I I could I didn't drive up there or

104anything. Just observation from the street. >> It's it's a really good question. I I don't have a you know a concrete answer. I want to get that and then I'll get an answer either through Martha or directly. Um but I also agree that's a great um point of information that we need to communicate to our community. I mean, it's so close to where that work is being done. I wouldn't be surprised if they would prefer. We don't have small children. >> Yeah. I feel like it was off limits last year because of the >> tech. And it's going to be real gross and dusty back there, too. So, >> I think there's a lot of heavy equipment that comes in for that. >> Yeah. I'll I'll get a a concrete answer and then we'll get

105that out to the board and communicate it to uh stakeholders. >> I think even the field, the only entrance is over by the >> Yeah. And they just blocked it off with all the fencing so that they could protect the >> workspace. So, I mean, the fence is short. I'm sure the bigger kids will just jump in there and play on it, but we'll see. >> Um, thorough cleaning is going to take place uh all summer. So, that started Monday. Uh, I was at a an early morning meeting on on Monday. Mr. Pros had a meeting with all the custodial and maintenance staff. There is a um different set of expectations, I think, just in terms of what cleaning is going to look like this year in the schools. um with change. Not everybody's happy

106with that. So, there've been a lot of questions, a little bit of push back, but I think Zach handled it really well. And he met with everybody at the beginning of the day Monday and then everybody went off and started cleaning. I was there at the meeting first thing Monday, went back to the office and then went back to Ames in the afternoon just to kind of see what what the the the sense was, what the climate was and and how the work was going. And as we had hoped, some of the maybe naysayers were had, you know, were giving it a chance, buying in. Um, Mr. Pros had divided them into teams and and really doing great work. Um, one of the things that's most notable noticeable when you go into a school into

107a classroom is the is the floor, right? A hard surface floor, vinyl floor that has not been stripped and cleaned properly over the years, you don't really notice it until you clean it thoroughly. And in one of the classrooms, uh, pretty goodized classroom. All the furniture was out, white t, you know, vinyl flooring. Half of it had been stripped and and clean. The other half hadn't. And just standing there looking at it was amazing. And the custodians and the maintenance staff who were there could see the difference. So, I think that helps with the acceptance of, oh, okay, this this is going to make a difference. So, we'll continue to support them, you know, the staff throughout the summer as they do that cleaning. I I believe that when staff come back in the fall,

108they will be amazed and we will certainly highlight and kind of champion the efforts of the custodial maintenance staff all summer. So, that has started this week and will continue throughout the summer. Uh and and Zach has a very complex schedule of how to get all of that done around work that's ongoing and summer school and and and you name it. But that that's happening. As I mentioned, I'll have a preliminary FY27 budget for the finance committee at the end of the month. Um, and in terms of response times using Fresh Desk, um, I look for the data this afternoon. I'm going to trust what Mark put in here that we are meeting or exceeding uh, the response times in terms of maintenance uh, requests uh, through Fresh Desk. So, um, I think that's it

109for me. Any questions for me before I turn it over? I I I would make one comment and this is in relation to 5.3 when we're talking about scheduled maintenance and repair and that's great that we've done that and we've improved upon that list over time. I don't know for the next version of this if there's a way to incorporate something about minimizing surprise projects that have definitely we've seen our share of them over time. But you know definitely it's great to once it's it's there. It's in the list it's not moving forward. But I'm thinking if am I right that the boiler project was a was a fairly big surprise recently. >> Mhm. >> So yeah, just something something cuz yeah, I guess the greens to me don't tell that whole story. Yes, we're

110doing the scheduled maintenance. Are there things that were not that are kind of bubbling out there we're not aware of? And if so, you know, how do we encompass that? How do we find that before it's a surprise? >> I think that's a really good point. Uh, I think not only for the board, there shouldn't be any surprises, but for the community as well. >> So, one of the things I've I've heard a little bit about and and I'm doing some digging, Martha and I have had some conversation about just a long-term facility plan that really encompasses for our use internally. Everything from all the the floor, the tile on the floor is cracked. That's something that's that we'll take care of up to big ticket items like boiler replacements. And there shouldn't be any

111surprises for the board or for the community. So, um, we'll look to incorporate those things so we can avoid surprises to the best of our ability. Um, but then also do I I think as good a job as as we can in getting that word out to the stakeholders too. >> At the BL Park meeting um the other day, you know, that work is ongoing. There's been conversation with the city or the village rather. Um, but yesterday morning, I think there was an email from the village about, you know, what's going on at I think at Hower, you know, a question about that. So that's just a sign to me that we can do a better job communing communicating things to to everybody in the community. So we'll work on that as well. I think

112your point is well made. >> Yeah, great. >> I agree. I think that like there could be a way to incorporate >> maybe two subcategories here that is like one is more tied to >> maintenance and operation spend and another one is more tied to like big project capex spend. >> Yeah, >> it's a good point. Any other questions for me? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um trying to go back. >> Okay. So, uh we have the morale survey data here, but we kind of talked about that. >> Yeah, that was meant to just be integrate. that really was I think the whole thing >> I think we put that in as an attachment before we had the other piece. So that's that's part of what we already

113talked about. >> Okay. >> Um with that though no more items on the agenda. Uh so future meeting dates June 17th regular regular business meeting at 7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at Ames School. July 1st will be cancelled. July 15th regular business meeting at 7 PM in the multi >> because of construction. Okay. All right. Yeah. there. >> All right. Multi-purpose room at Ames again and then Ames again on August 5th and then Okay. So then August 19th, how's our learning resource center and September 2nd will be the committee the whole uh well it'll be a board self assessment. So it'll be a closed meeting. Are we going to do that at BL? We'll probably do that somewhere else. Right. I >> was going to say it's >> Yeah, we were saying BL it's

114probably will be either the Ames library or the Hower Library just because those are spaces that have worked well for us in the past. >> Yeah. Okay. Um we are we do have a number of absences over the course of the summer as we've taken a poll just trying to get the the board self assessment completed. So I know there was a concern with July 15th specifically to make sure that we have at least four people here. >> So I think Kathy Kathy has been the the person who I think if you who let me know or let Wesley know we've been forwarding on to Kathy really appreciate Kathy tracking all this. Um it looks like for June board, July board, and August cow, am I there's only a quorum. So there's only four of

115you scheduled to be there at each of the meetings, which is fine. With a quorum, we can hold a meeting, but it also means if like one of you >> hasn't let us know yet or plan, you know, unexpected can come up too. Um do you want to just kind of do a quick review, Kathy, and what you have like who's going to be there? >> June 17th board meeting. I have Wesley, Stephanie, and Marlo missing. um that meeting July 15th I have Wesley, Marlo, Stephanie missing that uh meeting and then August 5th Wesley, David and Selena will not be at that one. >> So does anybody know their SK like does anybody do we not know about someone's schedule? I guess >> those are the only ones that we have an issue with. We

116only have four people. >> Four. Four and four. Yeah. Each of those. Yeah. >> Right. I just have Yeah. three board members out at all of those meetings. >> Oh, that's right. Because July 1 is canceled. I didn't take that off my calendar. Okay. Yeah, that's that's accurate. I wasn't sure um >> if I was being counted in the July 15th as not I'll I'm full I'm fully remote. I might be in a different state. I don't know if I meet one of the five uh reasons to zoom in, but I know we still need a physical quorum present. Um even if I was able to zoom in, >> yeah, we got we have to have four physical. >> I think so. >> And you said you you may be remote on the uh July

11715th. >> Yeah. >> Is it accurate from what we have as far as people know their schedule summer? >> As far as I know, >> I know um some years we have cancelled the July board meeting. That's part of why I bring that up. And so for also for the it's just one we've been able we do have budget potential budget approval, right? um budget preview, >> budget discussion, >> budget could be done in August, though also as long as we've got 30 days between the August meeting and the September meeting, >> right? It's like by law it has to be approved by September 30th, right? So we but we always have moved it up. It helps actually helps to have you all have eyes on it, have it approved just for even like summer

118expenditures and that kind of thing, too. So if we're good, we'll we'll move ahead with our schedule as published. Just wanted to do a double check. I would I would even say like with some of the summer stuff, if there's really nothing else other than a budget and we've got that 30-day window, maybe we we can always just you and I can kind of figure out what you need from us and >> if you need something immediately, we'll have it. I don't think we cancel it now, but we can always as we get closer, if there's if it's only going to be a 20-minute meeting or something that could be punted, we can >> That's a good point, too. >> Okay. So, for now, it sounds like we have quorum. If any of you have

119a change in plans, please let us know. We'll have to pivot. So, >> okay, cool. With that, nothing else. Meeting adjourned. >> Thank you.